This past weekend Richard Gottfried from Luton played in the British Minigolf Association (BMGA) Players Championship and British Open tournaments at Strokes Adventure Golf Course in Margate, Kent.

Playing in his fourth and fifth tournaments of the 2007 BMGA Tour, 26 year-old Richard placed 5th out of 27 British competitors in the BMGA Players Championship on Friday 14th September. At the end of the first round of ‘Stroke play’ Richard was lying in 4th place with a personal best score on the course of 38, one stroke behind British Champion and British Number 1 Chris Harding and just 6 strokes off the British course record. Making the ‘cut’ to the second round of ‘Match play’ he lost by one-hole to eventual Players Championship winner Steve Gow.

On Saturday 15th September Richard began play in the 10th Annual BMGA British Open and scored a total of 178 after the first four rounds, which saw him finish the day in 35th position and therefore reaching the final the following day.

In the final two rounds before the ‘Super Play-off Final’ Richard scored a 42 followed by an equal personal best score of 38. Scoring 4 holes-in-one (Aces) these scores moved him up to a final position of 29th in a field of 46 top British and International miniature golfers. His achievements on the course over the weekend also meant that he finished 19th of 36 in the BMGA British Championships. The overall winner of the 2007 BMGA British Open was Jouni Valkjarvi from Finland who scored a total of 244 over 7 rounds.

Richard said “I am extremely pleased with my performance in both the Players Championship and the British Open. I was also really happy that I made the cut to reach the second day of the British Open. That was my main goal heading into the tournament. Getting two sub 40 scores in a major contest like the British Open is a great confidence boost and I am looking forward to the next competitions on the tour.”

2007 British Champion and current British Number 1 Chris Harding commented “It's always difficult to attract new players to the Minigolf tour. When you do come across somebody as enthusiastic as Richard, who wants to learn and improve quickly, then it's a real joy. His performance in Margate, on a really difficult course, was full of promise. Qualifying for the final eight in the Players Championship and making the cut in the British Open was a great achievement so early in Richard's career.”

Commenting on Richard’s performance over the weekend Four-Time World Crazy Golf Champion and British Number 2 Tim ‘Ace Man’ Davies, who played against Richard in the first four rounds of the competition, said “Richard played some great rounds in the British Open and is probably the most promising talent to arrive on the British Minigolf scene since me."

The next stops on the BMGA 2007 tour will see Richard competing in the BMGA Midlands Open in Warwick, the World Crazy Golf Championships in Hastings and competing back in Margate in November in the season closing BMGA Kent Open.

Notes for Editors:Richard Gottfried made his BMGA debut at the BMGA British Masters tournament in Southend-on-Sea on 24th April 2007 where he finished 24th of 28 players, and second in the ‘Novice’ category. He has since competed in the BMGA English Open in Warwick and the BMGA Brighton Open.

More information on the British Minigolf Association can be found at www.minigolf.org.uk

Full results and a report on the tournaments can be found at the website of the Kent Minigolf Club: http://www.kentminigolfclub.co.uk/British%20Open%202007.htm

Photo: Richard Gottfried lining up a shot on the 11-hole 'Heartbreak Ridge'Photo Courtesy of Sean Homer